Disposable shoe cover



Jan. 21, 1969 R. R. ROBINSON 3,422,550

DISPQSABLE SHOE COVER Filed July 28, 1967 Z a Z. (/5 T?- INVENTOR Paah1Q. Rab/haw? United States Patent 3,422,550 DISPOSABLE SHOE COVER RalphR. Robinson, 322 Englewood Road, Middlesboro, Ky. 40965 Filed July 28,1967, Ser. No. 656,923 US. Cl. 367.1 Int. Cl. A43b 3/16; Hf 3/00 1 ClaimABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to surgical clothingand, more particularly, to a cover for shoes of persons participating insurgery or other operations normally performed in a hospital.

It is the primary object of my invention to provide a shoe cover for useby doctors and other parties present in operating rooms where highsanitation standards are required, the cover being novelly designed foruniversal use on shoes of various sizes. Additionally, the cover isdesigned to permit ready securing of the cover to the shoe and also tofacilitate removal therefrom.

It is another object of this invention to provide a cover of theaforementioned character which is very simple in construction and may beformed from a low cost material, thereby rendering the cover inexpensiveto manufacture to the end that it is economically feasible to dispose ofthe cover after only a single use.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a shoe cover made pursuant to theteachings of my invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG.1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a lower perspective view of the cover showing the same in use;and

FIG. 5 is an upper perspective view thereof.

The shoe cover of the present invention includes a bag formed from aflexible material and presenting a pair of side panels 12 configuredsubstantially similar to a shoe. Side panels 12 are stitched at theadjacent peripheries thereof to form a closed back 14, a closed bottom16, and a closed front 18 adapted to cover the toe of the shoe. Theupper edges of side panels 12 are not stitched and thus provide anaccess opening 20 extending from back 14 to front '18.

Bag 10 includes an elongated toe portion 22 which terminates in a tipend 24, the latter having a loop member 26 secured thereto such as bystitching 28. A pair of resilient fasteners such as rubber bands 30 arejournalled through loop member 26. A conductive strap 32 is securedalong closed bottom 16 and includes a free end 34.

In use, the cover is adapted to receive a shoe 36 being worn by a personsuch as a doctor or nurse who is to par ticipate in surgery, to the endthat the shoe 36 1s covered to preclude germs or the like fromcontaminating the operating room. Shoe 36 is inserted through accessopening 3,422,550 Patented Jan. 21, 1969 20, with the heel of the shoebeing positioned adjacent back 14 and the sole of the shoe extendingalong the inner surface of bottom 16. Bottom 16 is longer than thelength of a normal shoe, thereby presenting excess material 38 in toeportion 22, which excess material extends forwardly beyond the tip ofshoe 36.

Excess material 38 is folded over the top of the toe of shoe 36,whereupon one of the bands 30 is looped beneath bag 10 for yieldablyholding the latter in place against the bottom of shoe 36. The otherband 30 is then drawn below the shoe and rearwardly thereof for loopingaround the ankle of the wearer adjacent the back of his heel, therebyyieldably holding back 14 in place. The pull of band 30 on the bight 42of loop member 26 maintains excess material 38 in its folded position asshown in FIG. 5 to thereby adjust the effective length of bag 10 tocorrespond to the length of shoe 36.

Doctors and nurses take many sanitation precautions before entering theoperating room, such as using rubber gloves and surgical gowns, butoften fail to cover their shoes which are common carriers of germs. Myinvention serves to substantially cover the shoe and thus aids inmaintaining the high sanitation standards required in hospital operatingrooms.

Strap 32 is tucked into the wearers sock 40 and serves as a conductorfor current flow between the wearer and the floor, thereby precluding abuildup of static electricity in the wearer. This provision is importantinasmuch as sparks emanating from the wearer as a result of staticelectricity may prove to be an explosion hazard such as when oxygen isbeing utilized in the operating room.

It will be recognized that my cover is novelly designed so that it isadapted for universal use on shoes of various sizes, an importantprovision being the elongated toe portion 22 which may be drawn back inthe form of excess material 38 to suitably adjust the length of bag 10for shoe 36. Extendable fasteners such as the bands 30 are utilized toyieldably hold the bag 10 in place and thus complement the universalcharacter of the cover.

Removal of the cover from shoe 36 is also effected quickly as it is onlynecessary to slip respective bands 30 from their holding positions topermit drawing of bag 10 from the shoe. Thus, the doctor or nurse isprovided with a cover which is readily secured on the shoe and easilyremoved there-from. In view of the sanitation requirements in hospitals,it would be desirable to dispose of the cover after a single use and,thus it is preferable to form the same from an inexpensive papermaterial or fabric, and it will be appreciated that my novel design isreadily amenable to the use of such materials.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A disposable shoe cover comprising:

a bag of flexible material having a pair of panels interconnected topresent a closed bottom, a closed back, and a closed front adapted tocover the toe of the shoe,

there being an access opening at the top of the bag extending from saidback to said front thereof,

said bag having an elongated toe portion terminating in a forwardmosttip end;

a fastener attached to said end of the bag adapted for looping aroundthe ankle of the wearer adjacent the back of his heel, said bottom beinglonger than the length of a normal shoe, presenting excess material insaid toe portion extending forwardly beyond the tip of the shoe of saidwearer,

said excess material being folded over the top of the toe of said shoeand held in place by said fastener,

said fastener being resilient for yieldably holding said material inplace thereby adapting the bag for universal use on shoes of varioussizes;

a loop member secured to said end,

said fastener comprising a band journalled through said loop member andlooped around the ankle; and

a second resilient band journalled through said loop member, said secondband adapted for looping beneath the bag for yieldably holding thelatter in place against the bottom of the shoe.

4 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS 6/1960 France.

10 PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R.

